Umpire Position Card

August 26, 2026

Your spot, your keys and your jobs, situation by situation — the Umpire's card for a crew of five. You are the white marker on every diagram.

Download the Umpire Position Card (PDF, 2 pages) — print at 100% on Letter, two-sided, flip on the long edge.

Built from the OHSAA Gold Book Brief & Concise mechanics for a crew of 5, which follows the NFHS Officials Manual. Associations amend these — check Vermont's guidance before teaching it.

Who's who

	Position
R	Referee (white hat)
U	Umpire — you
LM	Linesman (H/DJ)
LJ	Line Judge
BJ	Back Judge

Run and pass

Snap between the –10 and the +10.

Run — the whole crew of five, with the Umpire highlighted as the white marker seven yards off the line inside the tight ends. — Run

Pass — the whole crew of five, with the Umpire highlighted as the white marker seven yards off the line inside the tight ends. — Pass

What you do

Seven yards off the line inside the tight ends, wherever the Referee is. Vary your position laterally, shoulders parallel to the goal line.
Count A's eleven with the Referee, and count A's five ineligible linemen and check their numbers.
Run: interior line play with the emphasis at the point of attack, then the action on the tackled runner.
Pass: quick pass means no time to reach the line. Delayed pass, read the crossing end or the screen behind the linemen, then move up.

Your keys

Run — snap · linemen · blocking at the point of attack · the runner.
Pass — snap · linemen · QB · the pass · the catch.
You rule the trapped pass, behind or beyond the line.
Check the passer's spot of release with the Referee when he arrives.

Your spot


Run / pass	7 off the line inside the ends, regardless of the Referee.
Punt	7 off the line inside the ends, opposite the Referee — the only play you mirror him.
Goal line	7 off the line. Vary laterally.
Backed up	7 off the line, unchanged.

Turn immediately when the pass is thrown, then jog to the dead-ball spot.

Spotting


Shoulders	Parallel to the sideline when you spot it, then move off the ball quickly.
Hurry-up	You're the sprinter. Grab it, spot it off the backside wing, get to your spot.
Bad weather	Hold it and keep a towel over it at the spot.
Voice	Strong voice after the whistle. It prevents more fouls than a flag does.

Kicks

Free kick and scrimmage kick.

Kickoff — the whole crew of five, with the Umpire highlighted as the white marker on the receiving team's restraining line at the 50, two yards out of bounds opposite the press box. — Kickoff

Punt — the whole crew of five, with the Umpire highlighted as the white marker seven yards off the line inside the ends, opposite the Referee. — Punt

What you do

Kickoff: the receivers' restraining line — the 50 — two yards out of bounds, opposite the press box, bean bag in hand.
Jog up the far sideline and clear the restricted area, then raise your arm to the Back Judge when you're ready.
After the kick, run to the near hash on the 50, then stop and watch. If the runner breaks it, you have inside-out and the Back Judge has the goal line.
Punt: seven off the line inside the ends, opposite the Referee. Punted 30 or less, stand and watch; more than 30, jog slowly downfield.

Your keys

Kickoff — R's encroachment · onside · first touching · K's first contact by R's front line.
Punt — snap · snapper · line play · turn and watch.
Think onside on every kick. Bag in hand.
Onside: hold at K's 40 for first touching, early blocks and possession.

Your spot


Kickoff	The 50, 2 yds out of bounds, opposite the press box.
Onside	K's 40, opposite the press box. Officiate the line as a plane.
Punt	7 off the line inside the ends, opposite the Referee.
Safety kick	The 30.

Pre-kick


Ready	Clear the restricted area, then raise your arm to the Back Judge.
Pile	You and the Back Judge dig the ball out — find it before anyone signals.
After a punt	Jog downfield only once it's past 30 yards.

Goal line and place kicks

Snap on or inside the +10 · tee on the field.

Goal line — the whole crew of five, with the Umpire highlighted as the white marker seven yards off the line inside the ends. — Goal line

Field goal and try — the whole crew of five, with the Umpire highlighted as the white marker under an upright. — Field goal & try

What you do

Goal line: seven off the line inside the ends, same as any scrimmage play.
You never signal a touchdown. If you are certain and the wing hasn't signalled, go tell him — the call is his.
Field goal and try: take an upright, opposite the press box on a try. Tell the crew: no whistle.
Do not spot the ball for the try until the captain tells the Referee where he wants it.

Your keys

Place kick — snap · snapper · no fake · the numbering exception on a try.
Watch the centre on the snap. Count "one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two" — direct contact inside two seconds is a foul.
If it's a fake, stay on the end line initially.
Short kick: get to the goal line and rule whether it breaks the plane.

Your spot


Goal line	7 off the line inside the ends.
Field goal	Under an upright — your choice of post.
Try	The upright opposite the press box.
Muddle huddle	Stand on the end line.

Signalling


Good	Both of you signal, then step two yards into the end zone.
No good, in the end zone	Both step in, signal no score only, then touchback.
Whistle	Sound it when the kick is good or crosses the goal line.
Never	You do not signal a touchdown. Ever.

Between downs, clock and fouls

Every down, all night.

What you do

Penalty enforcement is yours. Turn to the calling official the moment the whistle sounds.
98% of the time you already know it. On the other 2%, look to the head coach with the wing beside him.
Dig for the ball when the wings need it and hand it over — never throw or toss it.
You matter most in the middle when tempers rise. Your presence does the work.

Your keys

Walk it or jog it — your choice — but get it right.
Don't look at the wings until they reach the succeeding spot.
Five-yard walk-off close to a first down: ask the Linesman to check the tape on the chain.
Crew goal on a simple five-yard dead-ball foul: ball ready inside ten seconds.

Enforcement


On the whistle	Turn to the calling official.
Walk-off	Both wings walk it. You check with them after, not during.
Unsure	Look to the head coach, wing at his side.
Questions	Ask now. Not in the locker room.

Between downs


Relay	You're the end of the triangle. Spot it off the backside wing.
Close to a first	Dig it out and hand it to the wing who can see leather.
Timeout	Stay over the ball.
TV game	Stay over the ball until the Line Judge says they're ready.

When you work a crew of 4

What changes for you.

You count B's eleven and own B's substitutions — the Back Judge's job in a crew of 5.
Punt: you take the deep spot. Everything a 5-man Back Judge does — eight wide and five deep of the returner, the goal line, the PSK bag and first touching.
Field goal and try: you take one upright and a wing takes the other.
Kickoff: you're alone on K's 40 opposite the press box, and you have Team K and K's restraining line by yourself.
Run and pass: you're the only official in the middle. Blocks beyond the point of attack are yours.